Taken By Surprise
by Rairakku Hana
Summary: A friendly outing takes a decidedly unexpected turn and Ichigo begins to see someone he only thought of as a friend in a slightly different light. *For FLOL's holiday exchange*


**Taken By Surprise**

*Secret Santa Exchange for FLOL*

Bleach; IchiHime

Word Count: 6605

Warning: T; mild cursing

Disclaimer: all characters herein are the property of Kubo Tite.

This is my gift to **Pamianime** on the FLOL forum. Please forgive my fail attempt to write your prompts. I tried, honestly I did. ~Happy Holidays, I hope you like it. ~

**~o0o~**

It all started with a simple kiss. The meeting of two pair of lips in a darkened theater. One pair was earnest and forceful. The other surprised, yet accepting.

Regardless of how it all began, it fell apart before it had a chance to develop into something more.

Ichigo's breathing was erratic and the sound of his heartbeat thundered in his ears, drowning out the action packed movie and quiet voices of those around them. _She kissed me. _He shouted in his mind, fighting against the urge to touch his still tingling lips.

Unfortunately, the sweetness her lips imparted was quickly forgotten when he noticed the horror growing in her wide brown gaze.

"I'm so sorry, Kurosaki-kun. Please forgive me."

Tears welled up in her eyes, reflecting the conflict continuing uninterrupted onscreen as his carefully constructed world -the world in which he was resigned with merely being her friend- started to crumble around his feet. With that one soft innocent kiss, everything he convinced himself to accept and believe shattered to expose an inexplicable longing, one he thought well buried by years of denial. Looking at her with newly opened eyes, Ichigo intrinsically knew he'd never be the same_._

Inoue Orihime just kissed him.

And now, she was running away from him.

Orihime sent him a fearful look before jumping from her seat. Moving as fast as she possibly could, she scooted down the packed row, whispering apologies as she went.

That finally snapped him out of his daze and spurred him into action. Ichigo shot to his feet, scowling as the person behind him hissed for him to get out of the way before barreling after his friend.

Over outstretched legs, past an oblivious couple who obviously didn't require any air, and elbowed aside by a pair of overenthusiastic fanboys, he gained the center aisle fast on his friend's heels. Almost within arms reach, he stretched out a hand for her thin wrist just as a behemoth of an usher stepped out of the shadows and pressed a beefy hand to his chest, stopping his pursuit dead in its tracks.

Ichigo could only watch in frustration as Orihime glanced jerkily over her shoulder, her eyes widening at his predicament before hurrying her pace. Cursing under his breath, his hands curled into impotent fists as she slipped unimpeded out the back doors of the theater and out of his sight.

And he stood there alone, stunned and bewildered, after receiving what was his very first kiss.

**~o0o~**

'_The person you are trying to reach is currently unavailable …'_

Ichigo barely managed to stop himself from slamming his hapless cell phone down at the sound of Orihime's voicemail picking up, yet again. He got it. She didn't want to talk to him. That was painfully obvious, even to someone to like him.

He set his phone down on his desk with a controlled gentleness that belied the irritation blazing in his eyes. Just what kind of game was she playing? Surely not hard to get? No, that couldn't be right. _She's the one who kissed me, after all._ Ichigo knew that he couldn't have just imagined it. Besides, his imagination wasn't nearly that good.

So, the question is; why was Orihime now avoiding him?

Grabbing his phone in the off chance she called him back, Ichigo stretched out on his bed, replaying the events leading up to that unexpected kiss. They'd gone to the movies as a group, and after some obvious maneuvering on Tatsuki's part; Ichigo found himself sitting beside Orihime in a row far removed from the others. Whatever. It didn't matter to him just as long as he wasn't stuck next to Keigo and his annoying habit of narrating the entire movie.

Rolling to his side and running his thumb over the keypad of his phone, Ichigo remembered how he'd spent the first half of the movie paying as much attention to his neighbor's reactions as to the drama unfolding onscreen. Not surprising really. Orihime always got excited over the smallest of things, and the movie they watched gave her plenty of things to get wound up over, lots of suspense, fights, and a good amount of wicked badassery.

However, when the movie turned from action to a love scene where an appreciative –yet majorly stacked- damsel thanked her rescuer things got a little uncomfortable. Ichigo had grumbled under his breath that he sure as hell never got thanked like that. Not that he wanted to either. Well, not really anyway. However, this Hollywood hero barely risked his life for this woman, or got stabbed through the chest, or went through anything remotely like what he'd done, and she still threw herself at him gratitude.

Tch. Just yet another glaring difference between movies and real life.

A small thready sigh to his left had him turning to see what Orihime thought of this part, only to freeze in surprise to see her staring directly at him, lost in one of her famous dazes. Ichigo couldn't move –hell, he wasn't even certain if he was breathing- as her small hands came to rest on his forearm and she stretched towards him, gradually closing the distance between them.

He'd be lying if he said she hadn't taken him completely by surprise. Ichigo couldn't believe that she would be so bold as to kiss him. This was Inoue Orihime, after all. Call him stupid, but he never saw it coming.

As far as kisses went, Ichigo was certain that this one could be classified as awkward at best. Orihime missed half of her intended target, and his mind shut down and he could only process the thought that he probably tasted of popcorn butter and salt. Not quite how he imagined his first kiss would turn out.

But that gentle brush of her lips against his still rocked his world.

Closing his eyes as he reached up, his index finger traced over his bottom lip, trying to remember the exact feel of her lips pressed to his. They were plump, soft, and had just a hint of fruity flavored lip-gloss. Ichigo unconsciously licked his lip, knowing that none of her taste remained but he searched for it anyway.

Before he knew what he was doing, Ichigo was punching in Orihime's number for what seemed like the hundredth time. Maybe she'll pick up this time and tell him how she lost her phone but could still hear it ringing and how she was forced to tear up her apartment looking for it before remembering that it was in her jacket from last night …or not. His finger viciously stabbed the end call button when her detestable voicemail picked up, yet again. This was bullshit! He just wanted to know is why she kissed him, that's all.

Why did Orihime have to go and change the status quo now? Ichigo was happy with the way things were between them. No, that wasn't fair. He was the one who wanted to think of her as nothing more than a friend. He was the one who denied the feelings he kept hidden from everyone, especially himself. She was special to him, but fear can make even the strongest weak and afraid. It was easier to just tuck those emotions away instead to facing up to possible rejection and heartbreak.

_Damn, I never realized what a pathetic wimp I am._

Forcing himself to calm down, Ichigo flopped back against his pillow and counted to twenty through clenched teeth. _Ichi …ni …san- Orihime is a kind and considerate person. She's not ignoring me on purpose. Shi …go …roku- She'll call back as soon as she gets the chance. Nana …hachi …kyuu- _Dammit. He gave up on that pointless exercise before he even made it to ten.

Slapping a hand over his eyes, hating the way he was fretting like a young girl nervously waiting for the phone to ring, he cursed under his breath before bolting from his bed. He'd do his homework, study for the approaching finals, and try to put this all from his mind before he did something stupid, like hunt Orihime down and cause a scene. Acting like a deranged lunatic wouldn't earn him any points at all, and would give her even more reason to avoid him.

Propping his elbow on his desk, he rested his chin on his fist and cracked open his math book. Ichigo tapped his pencil against the notebook in an oddly jarring rhythm as his eyes drifted from the printed pages before he even started to solve the first question to glance at his quiet phone. _Orihime will call, won't she?_

Blowing out a disgusted breath, Ichigo yanked open his top desk drawer and dropped his phone into it before closing it with a satisfying slam. _Quit being such a dumbass!_ She's probably just at work and will call back later. It was plausible. And if by some chance she didn't call tonight, they were partners in class for their humanities paper, so he'd have plenty of time to talk to her tomorrow.

Even Orihime can't avoid talking to him then.

**~o0o~**

"Tell me, Kurosaki. Is there any reason you can think of why Inoue-san would call me over the weekend to ask me to switch and partner with you, instead of the two of you completing the project together like assigned?"

Ichigo glanced up in irritation, scowling at the smug looking Quincy before what he said penetrated into his brain. "She did what?"

His gaze narrowed on the redhead standing near the door, laughing with her best friend. Coming to his feet in a rush, Ichigo scowled at Uryu's hand as it came to rest of his arm before following the Quincy's meaningful look to the right. A group of girls stared back at him in confusion before turning away from his dark and broody expression in a flurry of speculative whispers.

Dammit, he couldn't approach Orihime in class, not with everyone watching their every move. If he did something out of the ordinary, say like stalk up to the school's idol and demand to know just what in the hell was going on, people would definitely talk. They'd be the hottest topic of discussion in no time.

Nodding grudgingly in thanks to Ishida, he dropped back into his seat with an irritated grumble. Ichigo grunted in reply when Chad asked if everything was all right from his seat behind him. _No, everything was most definitely not all right!_ He silently fumed as he watched Orihime hurry to her seat as their first hour teacher entered the room. _Lunch_, Ichigo latched onto that idea much like a falling man grasped at anything within reach. He'd talk to her over their lunch hour.

The first two periods passed slowly, dragging by until Ichigo swore he'd scream. He tried to focus on the subject matter at hand, but English and biology didn't have a hope of competing with the more dominating thoughts in his mind. His eyes flicked to a desk two rows over and he watched her scribble industriously in her notebook, the tip of her pink tongue caught between her teeth in a look of complete and utter concentration. In less than 36 hours, Orihime had become the focus in his life; everything else became nothing more than irritating background noise.

After he was called on and didn't know the answer, let alone what subject they were currently working on, he forced himself to pay attention and tried to ignore the hot color staining his cheeks. _Damn, did everyone have to make such a big deal out of me spacing out?_ Thankfully, third and fourth hour went by quickly, having PE right before lunch helped him out greatly. The chance to burn off some tension and frustration before talking to Orihime was the only lucky thing to happen to him all day.

Coming back from the locker room, calmer and more in control of his emotions, Ichigo tucked his hands into his pockets and tried to be nonchalant as he hurried his steps back to the classroom. The girls left the field before the boys, so Orihime should be just getting back in class. This was his best chance of talking to her with the least amount of interruptions.

Rounding the corner, he silently rehearsed just what he planned to say to her. He wanted answers. No, it was more as if he needed them. This uncertainty was making him crazy. Was it possible that she liked him as more than a friend? Ichigo wanted to desperately know the answer to that question, followed closely by, just why on earth she kissed him the other night only to run away before he could even say or do anything in response.

Grumbling under his breath about how unfair she was being, Ichigo glanced up for a moment before looking back down at the tiles passing underneath his feet. _Wait a damn second!_ His head jerked back up to focus on a student walking up ahead of him. His eyes traveled over the standard issue shoes, up creamy white stocking and lingered a small strip of skin before the bottom of a short gray pleated skirt captured his attention. Swallowing thickly, he pulled his gaze from the enticing sight to watch long russet hair swing from side to side with each bouncing step she took. _Orihime._ What a stroke of luck.

"Oi, Inoue. Got a minute?"

She paused mid-step and glanced over her shoulder with a clearly startled gaze. "K-kurosaki-kun …" Orihime stammered in surprise before moving steadily away from him as she answered apologetically. "Umm, sorry I can't talk now; I promised Tatsuki-chan I'd be right back."

Furrowing his brows, Ichigo advanced on her retreating figure, wondering what was up with that look she was giving him. It's not as if he was going to yell at her. "I just wanted to ask you about our philosophy paper and why I'm now partnered with Ishida."

"Oh, right." She rubbed the back of her head and grinned in an obvious attempt to stave off any potential awkwardness. "Tatsuki-chan and Uryu-kun were bickering more than they were working, and I thought it would be a good idea for them to switch with someone else. I didn't want them to get a failing grade, after all."

Point to Orihime. She did manage to find a way to avoid spending time with him, after all.

Hidden in his pockets, his hands fisted in frustration and he dropped his gaze. Ichigo figured there was more to it than that, but he let her off the hook without probing deeper for answers, this time. "If that's the case, I guess there's no problem with us switching then."

She clapped her hands and smiled up at him, not quite meeting his eyes. "Good, I hoped you would understand."

"Speaking of understanding," Ichigo murmured hesitantly as he glanced at her from under lowered brows. Aware of the sudden tension infusing Orihime's slender frame, his courage faltered for a moment before uneasily asking, "About Saturday night…"

She twisted her slender fingers together and lowered her eyes to stare at the white tiled floor. "I'm so sorry, but can you please just forget that ever happened, Kurosaki-kun?" Taking a deep breath, Orihime clasped her hands and bowed low, sending her hair tumbling over her shoulders to swing free and hide her expression. "I got so caught up in a daydream about the movie and didn't realize what I was doing, until it was too late. I sincerely hope it won't affect our friendship any."

"Nothing but a daydream, huh?" Ichigo breathed out, trying to laugh it off and ignore the sharp stab of disappointment her words wrought. He reached up with an unsteady hand to knead away the sudden tension invading the back of his neck as his gaze drifted off to the side. "Don't worry about it. You just took me by surprise, is all."

"I am sorry." She whispered while staring down at her clasped hands. Chewing on her lip as an uncomfortable silence stretched out between them, Orihime shifted her weight from foot to foot before taking a small step backwards. "I should go. Tatsuki-chan is waiting for me."

He smiled crookedly and nodded, sending her off with a wave. His smile wavered as she rounded the corner before it slipped entirely from his face and disappeared from sight.

_Forget it ever happened?_

Hell would freeze over first. Ichigo grumbled under his breath as he plowed his fist into the concrete wall at his side. Did Orihime really think it would be that simple?

**~o0o~**

The cold wind cut through the park's bare tree branches and his jacket with ease, but it was nothing more than an insignificant discomfort, one easily ignored. Steadily following the trail, Ichigo paid no attention to the couples walking around him or to any of the colored lights and gaudy ornaments strung here and there.

It was Christmas Eve, the night for couples to go out on a special date, and here he was alone, again. In the last two weeks -14 long and depressing days-, Orihime continued to ignore him and any of his less than stellar attempts to snag her interest. The most Ichigo managed to get from her was a slight smile, maybe a brittle laugh, and then she'd slip away before he knew it.

There was now a wall between them that hadn't been there before, one he couldn't seem to scale no matter what he tried. She continued to place brick after brick on top, building it bigger, stronger. Ichigo couldn't for the life of him understand why, after everything they'd been through, would she shut him now?

He had hoped that this would be his time to finally make his intentions clear and maybe ask her out. Instead, he was here alone in the park, leaning against the back of a bench, trying to make peace with these chaotic feeling crowding his chest. Orihime obviously didn't see him as anything but a friend, let alone a prospective boyfriend, and he was beginning to wonder if it was fair to continue forcing his attentions on her.

Ichigo tucked his thumbs into his belt loops and watched the sun reflecting off the relentlessly flowing river. He needed to stop worrying and just do something, anything to relieve this bitter aching. She had him all tied up into twisted painful knots and she didn't even seem to care one damn bit.

A small flash of color from the corner of his eye let Ichigo know that he was no longer alone as someone leaned beside him. Scowling at the interruption of his solitude, he crossed his arms over his chest, determined to ignore them. He buried his chin in the open collar of his jacket and wondered if Orihime was almost off work yet and if it'd be too stalkerish if he just happened to show up as she was leaving. At least he was thinking along those lines, until the person beside him decided to break the silence.

"I heard you and Orihime kissed."

Ichigo whipped his head to the side to see Tatsuki standing there, watching him with a neutral expression, not giving away the true state of her feelings. Staring at his childhood friend in something akin to horror, he shifted, not even realizing that his hands dropped to protect his crotch from any possible retribution. "W-where did you hear something like that?"

Shrugging her shoulders, she tucked her hands into her pockets and answered simply. "Orihime, who else?"

He relaxed his defensive stance, relieved she didn't seem mad. "It's not what you think, Tatsuki." He grumbled under his breath. Turning his face away from her curious gaze, Ichigo worked his jaw almost as if he were chewing his words before spitting them out. "Inoue was just lost in one of her wild daydreams. It didn't mean anything."

"Damn," She breathed out while staring up at him as if he was a complete and utter moron. "I honestly don't know which one of you is stupider."

"What?"

"It's got to be a tie, because I can't quite decide between you two idiots. What, with her not taking advantage of the perfect situation, or the way you went and believed her scared pack of lies."

"Situation …lies?" Ichigo furrowed his brows, attempting to puzzle out just what Tatsuki was trying to say before giving up and demanding. "What are you talking about?"

"Just how dense are you? Orihime wasn't daydreaming." She declared hotly, returning his glare with one of her own before grimacing and amending her earlier statement. "Well, not entirely."

"Huh?"

"Sure, she was probably seeing you through her peculiar Orihime vision, imagining you as some sexy brave hero, before she went all weak in the knees and finally laid one on you." Tatsuki laughed out, secretly amused by Orihime's oddball fantasies. Looking her stunned friend up and down, she crossed her arms over her chest and shook her head. "Pfft, you sexy? I just don't see it. But, I guess there's no accounting for personal taste, after all."

"You're saying she likes me, like that?" Ichigo rubbed a hand over his face, feeling strangely thrown off kilter before muttering under his breath. "Dammit, I thought she regretted kissing me, and that's why she's been avoiding me."

"Not hardly. She's been bouncing between extremes these last few weeks, excited that she kissed you to depressed that you might actually hate her. She's about to drive me insane." Tatsuki drawled out before perking up as Ichigo suddenly spun of his heel and stalked off without a word. "Hey, where you going?"

A smile tugged at Ichigo's mouth as he slowed his step and glanced over his shoulder. Dropping his chin, he sent his friend a challenging look from under lowered brows, "Where do you think?"

"Heh, good luck." Tatsuki returned his cocky smile and waved him on his way before calling out. "Don't you dare hurt her and make me regret betraying her trust."

He came to a complete stop before turning to face her fully, scowling darkly and clearly offended. "I won't. You should know me better than that by now."

A smile slowly curved the corners of her mouth as she nodded in affirmation, well pleased with his answer. "Then I should probably warn you, Orihime is as stubborn as they come."

"Tch, not a problem, so am I."

**~o0o~**

"Would you get an eyeful of that one, he looks positively smoldering."

Balancing a loaded tray, Orihime tried to follow her co-worker's line of sight as she backed through the kitchen doors into the main shop. The serving platter tipped dangerously and had her giving up her search of the supposedly smoldering man almost immediately as she scrambled to right her tray before she dumped a whole batch of daifuku on the floor.

Gently setting the awkward tray on an open counter, Orihime blew out a relived breath and tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear. _That was too close_. She mused with a grin before removing a mostly empty tray from the display case and exchanged it for the full one while listening to her coworker, Tagaki Miho continue with her enraptured narration.

"Oh my gosh, he's so freakin' hot!" Coming up behind the busy redhead, Miho clamped both hands around Orihime's face and turned her head to the side before squealing excitedly. "See him, the one with the orange hair?"

With her face squeezed in-between Miho's hands; Orihime had no choice but to look where directed. Gaping in surprise, her brown eyes bugged out comically. _Oh no, what is he doing here?_ She frantically wondered before sputtered out his name as his gaze came to rest on her, "K-kurosaki-kun?"

"You know him, seriously?" Miho forcibly turned the blushing redhead to face her as she bounced on the balls of her feet. "Come on Inoue-chan, be a friend and introduce me. Please-please-please?"

"Umm …umm …" she stammered in indecision, her gaze darted between Miho's hopefully expression to Ichigo's darkly intense one and back again.

"Oh no, he's coming to our counter!" Releasing her captive coworker, Miho straightened her hat and smoothed down her apron before checking to see if her nametag was easy for him to see. "How's my hair? Does my uniform look cute enough?"

"Oi, Inoue."

Spinning around while still massaging her sore cheeks, Orihime looked up into dark chocolate eyes and blushed at the enigmatic look her friend was giving her. "Kurosaki-kun, w-what are you doing here?"

"I was in the mood for something sweet, and I remembered you were at work, so I stopped by."

She nodded mechanically in reply, curious as to why it felt like Ichigo was talking about something besides bakery goods. _This isn't good, I never expected him to show up at my job. _She had to leave, escape. Orihime wasn't ready to talk to him. She wasn't prepared.

Except, her feet wouldn't budge from their spot as she stared into his eyes. There was a new emotion playing in their brown depths, one she couldn't identify. And her resolve from the previous weeks began to weaken and break apart. Lost in thought, Orihime jumped at the swift kick to her shin before frowning at the culprit. Miho raised her eyes to stare innocently at the ceiling as the corner of her mouth curled up in amusement.

Grateful to be jolted out of her daze, but less than thrilled with her coworker's methods, Orihime nervously stole a glance at Ichigo before gesturing to the demurely smiling woman beside her, knowing what Miho was hinting at. "Umm, Kurosaki-kun, I'd like you to meet my co-worker, Takagi-chan."

"Hey." Ichigo nodded in the other woman's direction, but his gaze never left the blushing redhead in front of him. "What time do you get off?"

Orihime blinked at his abrupt question before curiously pointing at herself. "M-me?"

"Yeah, you."

Orihime stared blankly at Ichigo in confusion before stiffly craning her head to the side to look at the clock on the wall. She blinked at digital number, desperately trying to bring them into focus as her heart raced painful in her chest. Still in a daze, she turned back to answer with an uncontrollable stutter, "I-I have another hour left."

Humming in reply, Ichigo nodded slowly as if coming to a decision. "I'll wait."

"You'll wait? Wait for what?"

"For your shift to end." He murmured, no longer paying any attention to her but gazing into the glass counter with sudden interest. "Now, what do you suggest?"

Why did he want to wait for her? Surely not to talk? Orihime twisted her hands together as her stomach clenched and churned. She was going to be sick. Ichigo was going to tell her that he was uncomfortable with continuing their friendship. She just knew it. It was what she'd been dreading these last fourteen depressing days. But first, she needed him to leave before she did something embarrassing like cry in front of him. He could say what he wanted to later, after she had a chance to gather her composure and prepare herself for heartbreak.

His earlier question managed to penetrate her befuddled brain, and Orihime frowned in confusion. "Suggest?"

Ichigo straightened and arched a brow at his clearly disconcerted friend. "I wanted something sweet, remember?"

She stared at him with a blank look, her mind obviously elsewhere before snapping back to attention with a quick shake of her head. "Oh yeah, of course I remembered." Orihime wiped her hands down the front of her apron repeatedly before pointing a shaky finger at an item in the back row. "For Kurosaki-kun's tastes, I'd say a chocolate explosion brownie."

"Hmm, you remembered that I like chocolate." He murmured thoughtfully as a blush stained his cheeks. Clearing his throat suddenly, Ichigo glanced at the menu board and stuffed his hands into his pockets. "I'll take one of them and a black coffee."

Nodding in confirmation, Orihime took a deep breath and got to work putting together a tray for him. _Focus, you can do this. It's just like any other order. Focus._ The shop's customary lacy paper doily lined the serving tray and a prettily folded napkin went in the top corner, followed by a freshly polish fork. She peeked up through her lashes to see Ichigo watching her closely and her certainty that this was just like any other order was shattered. This wasn't just a normal order. This was to satisfy Kurosaki Ichigo's sweet tooth.

_Oh no, now I'm blushing._

Fighting the urge to hide her face, Orihime willed her hands to stop shaking and smiled gratefully at Miho when she offered to grab the coffee for her order. After removing one of the thick gooey sweets from the tray, she arranged Ichigo's treat on a small white plate with care. Glancing up and looking in the general vicinity of his ear, she timidly asked. "Do you want anything on it?"

"Like?"

"Well, some people like whipped topping and sprinkles or a scoop of ice cream on it, but if it were me …"

Ichigo planted an elbow on the counter as he leaned near. His voice rumbled out slow and gravely, like honey gliding sinuously over jagged rock. "Yes, tell me exactly how you like it, Inoue."

Orihime's eyes widen and she almost dropped his plate, as her knees grew weak. _Host club Kurosaki in the flesh!_ A small panting breath rushed from her lips as her free hand slapped against the counter, groping for support before she blurted out obediently. "Hot fudge and cherries."

"Then, that's what I want. Give it to me exactly like that."

She heard Miho's muffled squeal from somewhere on her right as if coming at her through a thick swirling fog. Orihime totally agreed with her though. Kurosaki-kun was so cool. However, his unfamiliar actions left Orihime lightheaded and dizzy, feeling as if she was living in a dream while one very important question buzzed around her brain. _Is Ichigo flirting with me?_

**~o0o~**

"You done?"

Orihime jumped in surprise as Ichigo slowly unfolded his lean frame from one of the shop's delicate chairs and walked towards her. "Kurosaki-kun, you're still here?"

Ichigo lifted a thin brow in answer. He was standing here, wasn't he? Then, that must mean he was still here. Holding open the door for her, he tilted his head, gesturing for her to precede him. "Come on, I'll walk you home."

She froze, her mitten hanging limply from the ends of her fingers as she shook her head in the negative, rejecting his determined offer. "That's all right, Kurosaki-kun. Your family is probably waiting for you. It's Christmas Eve, after all."

"If I didn't know better, I'd think you were trying to get rid of me, yet again."

Turning her face away, Orihime stopped just outside of the ring of light from the bakery's windows, grateful for the concealing shadows. "No, it's just t-that ...umm, Tagaki-chan and I were going to go …"

"Bye Inoue-chan, nice meeting you, Kurosaki-kun. Merry Christmas!"

Miho yelled at the redheaded couple as she whizzed by on the back of a bike, her arms wrapped tightly around the leather-clad driver. Orihime's eyes widened and a hand automatically lifted towards her fast departing friend, pleading for rescue.

"Uh huh," Ichigo drawled out, trying not to act too smug when Orihime's face fell as her prefect excuse went blazing off into the night, leaving her stuck with him. "You know, the sooner you let me walk you home, the sooner you'll be rid of me."

The corners of her eyes were tight with worry as Orihime lifted her gaze to meet his. She furrowed her brows and opened her mouth to say something before closing it without reply. Tugging her mittens on the rest of the way, she turned and slowly walked to the corner and waited for him to follow.

Walking to her apartment in silence, the muted sounds of the season echoed through the streets as businesses attempted to lure customers inside and colorful lights blinked from every window, enlivening the drab winter atmosphere. Orihime kept her gaze on the ground and her steps were hurried as if to shorten the time they had to spend together. Watching her from the corner of his eye, Ichigo was afraid to talk and break this delicate peace between them.

He grew more and more nervous the closer they got to her apartment and he lost his earlier bravado as he silently argued with himself. _Tell her._ Less than a block to go now. _Just tell her already!_ His subconscious screamed in his ear, perfectly echoing his frustration with the situation. Ichigo knew that he had to end this uncomfortable stalemate somehow. They couldn't continue like this.

Gathering his courage, he took a deeply bracing breath and grabbed Orihime by the arm, pulling her to a stop. "Umm, Inoue …I-"

Gasping, Orihime glanced down to where his hand curled around her upper arm before jerking her gaze up to meet his. Her eyes went wide with what looked suspiciously like fright. "I'm sorry Kurosaki-kun," she pressed a trembling hand against his chest, pushing him away with a broken cry, "B-but I'm not ready to hear this yet."

His hand hung in midair as Orihime stumbled away from him. She mumbled another apology before she turned tail and ran. "What?" Ichigo yelled in shock, listening as the sound of her boot heels clomping against the sidewalk faded and he was left alone, once more.

His fingers curled into his palm and his hand dropped back to his side as confusion and uncertainty flooded through him. Was Tatsuki mistaken? Because it sure as hell didn't feel as if Orihime liked him. Was it worth his pride to continue making her to suffer his presence if she didn't want him around in the first place?

Dammit! Had Tatsuki been only having a bit of fun at his expense?

No, she wouldn't be that cruel as to play with people's emotions, especially not when it came to her tenderhearted best friend. She wouldn't put Orihime in a position where she had to hurt someone's feelings. _So, what exactly was the problem?_ His feet started to move of their own volition before Ichigo even made the decision to confront the redheaded conundrum at the center of all this confusion.

Running now, determined to get some answers, his feet pounded up the metal stairs to her apartment. Breathing heavily, Ichigo stared at her closed door in frustration. Yet another wall placed between them. Win or lose. It was time to tear them all down. He was ready to face this head on, no more watching from the sidelines with dejected eyes, feeling helpless as she walked away.

Clenching his jaw, he rapped his knuckles firmly against the metal door and waited. Nothing. No sound issued from her apartment at all. Ichigo glared at the door before pounding on it in frustration as he yelled, "Inoue, open up! I know you're there."

Lowering his head to rest against her door, he continued his relentless beat, wondering what he could do to get her to open up. Swallowing against the bitter taste in his mouth, Ichigo squeezed his eyes shut and listened for any sound from the other side. He only wanted to talk to her and regain the closeness they once shared. Was that asking too much? He missed her.

Ichigo pushed himself upright and stared at her door with hopeful eyes when he heard a metallic click of the lock being turned. His heart pounded in his throat much like a taiko drum, rapid, powerful, urgent, as the door slowly swung inward to reveal Orihime.

Warily watching each other in complete silence, they stood barely three feet apart, but it felt as if a yawning chasm divided them. His eyes moved over her familiar face and his stomach knotted at the unhappiness dulling her normally bright and shining features. And Ichigo realized that he didn't just want her. He needed her, desperately.

He wouldn't wither and die without her -no, nothing as clichéd as that- but his life would lack the warmth and joy Orihime effortlessly gifted to others. Laughter and silliness. Gentleness and concern. She reminded him not to take himself so seriously and to enjoy the simple things. Bread shared with a friend over tea. A bright good morning smile. She was someone he could always depend on. Orihime made life better, sweeter.

Ichigo didn't even question his sudden compulsion. He only knew that he wanted to kiss her, right this minute. To hopefully let his actions speak for him. The moist warmth of her breath puffed against his skin seconds before they connected as his lips pressed hard against hers. Well mostly. He might have missed his mark by a little bit. _So sue me._ He was nervous. This was his first time kissing someone, after all.

Their breath mingled as they stood in expectant silence with only inches separating them.

Watching tears well up in her eyes, Ichigo could sense both the uncertainty and longing in her gaze. It was as if someone suddenly swiped a hand over fogged glass, exposing the hidden truth to his wondering eyes. S_he's just as scared as I am_.

"Do you get it yet?" Ichigo murmured against her trembling lips. Tightening his grip on her upper arm as she shivered and tried to pull back, he fought back his instinctual fear of rejection before whispering. "I like you, Inoue."

Sparkling tears clung to her lashes and his strong hand held her up as her knees wobbled and grew weak. "Y-you like me …" She whispered as she reached up between them, laying the tip of her fingers against her lips before meeting Ichigo's eyes. "Do you mean as more than friends?"

"Yeah. When you kissed me before, it made me really happy." He answered self-consciously as his gaze drifted off to the side to watch the flashing lights lining the street below. "But then you wouldn't talk to me and I didn't know what to do to fix things between us."

She pressed a small fist to her chest while continuing to stare up at Ichigo, her regret clearly shining in her wide brown eyes. "I'm so sorry, Kurosaki-kun. I thought I had really screwed up and that you'd h-hate me a-and-"

Ichigo lifted his head to scowl at the stammering redhead in front of him. "I could never hate you."

"B-but, I thought you were only being kind, trying to spare my feelings." Orihime mused with a nervous chuckle, her cheeks burning with hot color as she rubbed the back of her head. "My intuition was obviously wrong."

"I'd say so." Ichigo leaned his forehead against hers, holding her close. "I really do like you."

He wanted to remove every bit of doubt from her eyes and assure Orihime that she was the girl he wanted. A small smile curved his lips as Ichigo carefully tilted his head, determined to make his second attempt much better than the first.

This story ends with a kiss. A sweet meeting of two pairs of lips. One pair was eager and forceful. The other excited, yet amazed.

Regardless of all the confusion along the way, they were both finally on the same page. But their story doesn't end here, this was merely the beginning.

**~o0o~**

A/N: rushed ending is rushed. *facepalm* I'm so out of practice writing fanfic. Sorry Pamianime, I failed to meet your requests on so many levels. _/hides _I hope you enjoyed my attempt anyway. XD

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

Rairakku~


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